


Capricious Fate

by Locallymoon



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Barista! Taeil, Books, Fluff, Genius!Lucas, Lucas is a mess, M/M, Romantic Comedy, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28629621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Locallymoon/pseuds/Locallymoon
Summary: Yukhei weekend is filled with plan, a 2 days 1 night training camp with Basketball Club, Debate Club meeting on sunday night, adding to that is the professor request to finish the literature review for the research by monday morning. Which means he need to do his review by today,but what happen when the book he needs are unavailable?He might need 'Moon Taeil' help for that.
Relationships: Moon Taeil/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Kudos: 8





	Capricious Fate

“The world is definitely against me”

Yukhei is now standing in the library computer, along with Mark the ever-so-reliablel ibrarian, trying to find a damn book that somehow is not available at the very moment that Yukhei needs it. He will be damned if he can’t find the book.

If he can’t find it today, it will mess with the schedule that he already made for his research team, basketball club, and the debate club. Yes, with a lot of things on his plate, that said it also comes with an array of problems caused by different reasons. But, this situation right here, is what stressed him the most now.

So the schedule goes with The basketball club, that plan to hold a 2 days 1 night training camp, meanwhile the debate club has a meeting on sunday night, and just yesterday the professor asked him to finish the literature review for the research by monday, it left him with only today to finish his task for the research. The book that he was searching contains a specific topic that he worked on, and he can get a lot of journal references from that, but just by his luck, all 5 copies of the book that he needs for are being borrowed by everyone.

“Though luck bud, I think 2 of them didn’t even have the intention to bring them back, this one said they’ve been borrowing it for two years,” Mark, Yukhei friends from his introduction to music class said (a class he took because he needs more credit, also this was the only one that fit his schedule). “I could try to order it, but it might take more than a month”

“WHAT?” Everyone is looking at him now.

“Yukhei! inside voice!”

“What am I? a five years old? Damn it, no-no I can’t wait for a month, I need it for today!,” Yukhei said in a hushed voice. 

“The prof will kill me if I can’t make it by monday.”

Mark then looks more at the list and starts typing something on it, Yukhei waits for Mark to search hoping that if he makes a wish now, a miracle will happen and somehow the book will suddenly appear. He is staring at Mark who is still typing something into the computer, when the said boys turn to him and show the page.

“Hei, do you know Moon Taeil?”

“Who?”

“Moon Taeil, looking at his university ID number here, it looks like he is a graduate student, he has the same faculty as you, look,” Mark said while pointing his finger to the ID Number shown on the screen. 

Yukhei read the page that Mark shows, and he found that yes, he is on the same faculty as him. He probably can ask around and ask him for a book instead of going around like a madman, asking random people if they had the books.

“He has that book for two weeks, and it’s due tomorrow. If you are able to get that book from him, just send the pic of the barcode to me, and I’ll input it so you don’t have to bring it here again.”

“Oh gosh, you’re a genius! THANKS BRO!”

“Inside voice, Yukhei”

So he begins the search for Moon Taeil.

The first place he can think of is the Social Science building, he needs to ask someone who probably knows everyone on their faculty, or maybe the whole university. So he ran there.

Once his eyes find the red-brick building, he plan to go to the café located in the lobby, since he’s going to ask for a favor, might as well bring some bribe. He goes straight for the café and goes in line; it has a small space, and people usually go for take out so they can have an extra boost of caffeine for their class. It’s a famous café that every social science faculty student visits, they also often give discounts on exam season, when people need as much caffeine and sweets that they can have, their array of pastry is to die for, Mark swears by its chocolate croissant. For the past two weeks, Yukhei is also a regular there.

But unlike Mark, it’s for an entirely different reason.

“Welcome to Sun and Moon!” The cashier said, Yukhei thinks he met this person before, probably a student from another department within the Social Science faculty, he looks around for a bit and pouts because he can’t find  _ him _ .

“What would you like to order?” The cashier's voice then stopping him from his searching, reminded him that he is in the middle of a busy line, it’s 9.30 AM in the morning, and people are lined up to take some coffee before their next class begins.

“One Chai Tea Latte please”

“One Chai Tea Latte coming right up, is there anything else?” Yukhei ask for one chocolate éclair to go and handed his money, he took the receipt and waited over the counter for his order. He nods over to the barista and sits on the stool. Hoping maybe he can get a glimpse of him today.

But Yukhei knows better of his luck, and nah today is not his day, should he ask his mom for some small charm from the temple? His mom loves that, thinking about his mom he should probably call her soon, it's been really a while since he called her. Lost in thought, he almost didn’t realize the barista was calling his name if not for another customer reminding him. He quickly takes the drink and speed walking to the 3rd floor.

——

Yukhei is standing outside the professor's room, trying to look inside through the small window quietly, just in case if the professor is there, he is only here for one of his favorite hyung anyway. Once he decided that there’s no professor in the room today, he opened the door loudly “Ten hyung! Fancy seeing you here.” Yukhei said while extending the Thai Tea Latte “Here I bought a gift for one of the most talented, amazing, genius, outstanding senior-“

“Cut it off, Hei, what do you want?” Ten said while takin the drink from him, “I know this is your bribe, but if you want the answer to the next quiz, you can just get your butt out of here”.

“What! I would never do that”

“Yukhei. Spill” Ten said, looking at Yukhei sharply while slurping his tea.

“Fine, do you know Moon Taeil? our senior? Class of 2014?”

“...... Taeil-hyung?” That name is familiar to Ten “Yeah, I know him, was in a project with him once, he is also in the same research team with Johnny, why?”

“Aren’t Johnny hyung in communication?”

“Mass communication, this year we got some collaboration research with them, the prof chose a few graduate students to run the team. So...why are you looking for Taeil-hyung?”

Then, Yukhei told him everything about his assignment, his full schedule and how things with Mark were going on earlier at the library. At this point Ten just listens to Yukhei while slurping his Thai tea and eating his éclair. 

“That such a busy schedule….if I was you, I’m gonna stop myself at the basketball night out.”

“Urgh, it’s not  _ night out _ it’s a camp, besides I’ve already missed two of the Debate club meetings last week, I can’t afford to miss this one too!”

“Fine...fine, have you checked Sun and Moon?” Ten said, going back to his laptop to type more.

“Yeah? Where do you think I got the drinks?”

“Well, then. You should have searched more there, Taeil-hyung usually worked at day because he has class with Kun at night, you might just missed him by a hair”

“I knew it was the right thing to look for you first, THANK YOU TEN HYUNG, LOVE YOU” Then Yukhei ran back to go toward Sun and Moon, forgetting just some little important thing.

Ten just stay still, looking at the place where Lucas sat, and there’s some question that arises in his head. (1) Does Yukhei even knew how Taeil-hyung look like, and (2) Why he don’t just ask Kun or Johnny for Taeil hyung phone number so he can contact him instead of running around and (3) Yangyang literally worked at the cafe, he should just contact him?

But this is Yukhei though, the one whom paper and article got published countless time, invited by the dean to faculty luncheon as the outstanding student, and then proceed to come up to the class late while using different shoes on each of his feet, forgetting his laptop when they switch their class (thank god the janitor keeps it for him), sending the novel that he worked on (it’s a 30k Royal AU slow burn, enemies to lover, Haikyuu fic) instead of his paper.

_ Well, let’s just hope he doesn’t screw this one up. _

\---

Yukhei is fast walking to Sun and Moon, eager to find this ‘Moon Taeil’ who right now holds the key to his assignment. Completely forgot that he doesn’t even know what Taeil looks like, he only knows his name and he was his ‘hyung’. Wait, what if Taeil is this big jock that is really protective of his books? What if he asked to do something embarrassing in exchange for the book? What the hell, why does he miss that? There's this possibility that Taeil asked something ridiculous in exchange for the book. Without him realizing his foot already brings him to the front of Sun and Moon.

_ Welp, here goes nothing _

The bell is ringing, the door is opened and he can hear the people greet him “Welcome to Sun and Moon!”

_ Yukhei doesn’t remember if today is his lucky day. Because he is sure he just walk into the heaven _

_ There, in front of him, his angel. _

_ That sounds really cheesy, but Yukhei has been calling him that for weeks, and he got no other nicknames that suit him better than this. _

_ Beaming with a soft smile, today he has really fluffy brown hair that Yukhei itching to pat (get a hold of yourself Yukhei!), he use a oversize white shirts that is 2-3 sizes bigger than him, it kinda like he is using Yukhei usual size for shirt, his apron today is yellow too and he is using a beret, so so cu-YUKHEI, FOCUS! _

Back to the present, Yukhei freezes in his place, meeting face to face with the man he has been seeing from afar only. Thank god the cafe is not as bustling as earlier, only one customer who sat near the window with their laptop and earpod on. 

“Do you want your usual creamy, double shot, hazelnut latte?”

“....Yes.”

After ordering and paying for his drink, he sits on the counter table with high stool, waiting for his drink. Eyes focusing on his angel, who already get started on making drink. Bet he looks like a weirdo, watching someone like this.

But it’s  _ his angel _ , he can’t help but focus on him. Has been doing that every single time he comes to this particular café for the past weeks when he meets _him_.

Their meeting goes a little bit like this.

**_Two weeks ago_ **

The library is quite empty, it was 9 pm on the weekend, and Yukhei is usually still in bed, probably playing games because  _ it's the weekend _ . But then, the debate team decided that they want to try some online meeting, and his wifi has been broken since last week, so he goes to the place that he knows so well has the best wifi. The library.

It was late, and when he chatted with Mark the kind guy offered to drive him home, so he was waiting for Mark to finish closing the library at the lobby.

“Atchoo, ah-atchoo.”

He heard someone in front of him sneeze while facing the opposite way from him. 

_ That was a cute sneeze, _ he thinks,  _ it sounds just like a kitten. _

He doesn't know if sneeze can be infectious, but then suddenly he also feels his nose getting more and more itchy and-

“ATCHOOO”

“AKH-” 

“Oh- Sorry! Did I surprise you?” Yukhei knows his sneeze is very loud, but the fact that the person in front of him are surprised because of his sneeze is making him embarrassed. He looks at his hand which is full of his saliva, and he can feel some snot filling his nose, he really needs a tissue.

“No-no gosh I’m so sorry, uhh, you might want this.” The stranger handed him some pocket tissue. “Sorry, it was just...so silence here and-yeah I just got surprised.”

“That’s-that’s ok, thank you...for the tissue. Sorry-“

Yukhei taking the pocket tissue with one hand, and looking up to thank him, and this is the moment when he got a proper look at the stranger that he think he is in a different dimention, _Is he an angel_?

The man is using a khaki cardigan that looks too big on him, a jeans, a white shirt and when he smiles at him, he can hear angels singing in the background, and all the bells, the organs, the choir it’s the whole ensemble.

“Bless you.”

And he is blessing him? Is this heaven? Did Yukhei die because he sneezed too loud? Did his brain stop functioning because of that? Yukhei is too kept up that he hasn’t realized the stranger has left. Leaving him alone, until Mark found him 15 minutes later, still staring at the same space.

“Oi, sorry the system just broke down, and I need to call some people…..you okay man?” 

“I think I just saw an angel…”

The next day, he was going to his afternoon class, when he suddenly craved something sweet after eating Blackbean noodles for lunch. Kun really outdone himself, and cooked the whole squad a blackbean noodles, and Yukhei never say no to free food.

“Welcome to Sun and-oh!”

_ It’s his angel in front of him. _

“You study here?” Taeil asked.

“Y-yes, uuhh.”

“Do you want to try our new menu? We have a new Hazelnut latte, our usual latte is getting an upgrade.” He then bring a menu brochure and showing it to Yukhei. “If you want, you can add more coffee shots too, we have a promo for plus one shot free for this beverage today.”

“Y-yes!”

Without thinking, Yukhri made the payment and said his thanks, he started walking to the side to wait for his drinks, he keeping himself close to the walls, trying to hide himself (which is, quite impossible considering his height and build) while his eyes is following Taeil’s movement. He is so into Taeil, that he almost didn’t hear Taeil’s calling him.

“Here is your drink, enjoy!”

“Th-thank you!” He said taking the drink, and prepare to leave the cafe immediately, hands itchy to text Hendery that he met  _ his angel  _ today.

“Don’t forget to bring tissue!”

Face red, he look at Taeil who have a mischievous glint on his eyes, and just nodded his face, then quickly went out of the cafe. Embarrassed that Taeil remembered his post-sneeze state full of disgusting liquid that came out of his nose.

So that’s how the Yukhei 2-weeks cafe regular journey started.

**_Present_ **

“Oh? Yukhei! It's been a while.”

“Yangyang? You..” Yukhei looking at the apron that Yangyang uses, and the way he brings the empty glass. “You worked here?”

“Yeah? I’ve told you right? I think I’ve told all of our circle that I worked here? Remember Kun’s potluck?” Yangyang said, going inside the bar, and putting the glasses on the sink.

“Man, I think I drank so much on that day, Xiaojun and Hendery are insane.”

Then he realize.

“Yangyang, I want to ask something!”

“Shoot”

“Do you know Moon Taeil?”

Yangyang is about to answer when suddenly, Yukhei’s drink comes into his sight.

“That would be me.” 

“I’m Moon Taeil.” His angel said, hand extended toward Yukhei, meanwhile the other can just stare with his mouth open, and they stay like that for a while.

“Uhh...okay..” Yukhei then saw Taeil retreating his hand, and that’s when he snapped, he suddenly grabbed Taeil’s hand strongly.

_ Oh my god, his skin is so soft—wait, YUKHEI! Tell your name to him! _

“I-I’m Yukhei, I’m in my 3rd year of Environment, Sustainability and Policy major, uhhh I…”

“Yes?”

“I need a favor from you!”

Yukhei might be imagining things when he saw Yangyang with a purple haired guy got excited and being so rowdy in the background but he didn't care. His angel hand is so soft, and he is standing in front of him with a beautiful smile.

“No-not a weird one I swear, it just- I need something and the library, and Mark and- “ At this point, it seems like Yukhei can’t comprehend his words well with how much he stutter and confusing his word, gone are the day he can speak clearly and with such a confidence in front of hundreds of people.

“Ah, sure, Haechan will you cover me for a while?” Taeil said, asking Haechan who was still hiding behind Yangyang’s back, and nodding his head.

“Also, Yukhei right? if you don’t let my hands go I don’t think I can get out of this..”

“Oh my god I’m so sorry!”

“Haha, that’s fine.”

Taeil then brings Yukhei to a more secluded place of the cafe, he brings him to the table on the corner of the cafe, just beside the big window and asks him to sit down. “So!”

“I heard the word Mark, and library but I still don’t know what favor you might ask me.” He said, face still full of smiles, oh how Yukhei can stay there for hours just to stare at that smile.

“Ah, yeah, I mean, actually Mark told me that...you have the book that I need? I know that you still have a day before you have to return it, but please can I have it for today? Just for today! When I’m done with it, I could tell Mark to extend it for you so you can use it again, I don’t even gonna extend it to tomorrow, I’m going to give it back to you at 12 o clock period.”

Taeil looked at him wide eyed for a while, before he opened his mouth “Sure.”

“What?” Yukhei really can’t believe his ears, Taeil said what?

“Sure, I bring that book today too, I’m actually going to return it today, but since you need it you could have it. I’m already done, so you can just use it all you want. Do I need to tell Mark about it?”

“No-no Mark said I just need to tell him through chat and that would be it..are you really sure?”

“That’s great then, no, just returning the book is already saving me the hassle, I have night class today, is there anything else?”

This, this should be his chance, he is already asking and sitting with his crush, even look dumb in front of him (but this happen quite a lot), now could be the end of Yukhei’s misery, he could at least trying something now, Yukhei you can do this!

“I should really repay you for this, A coffee perhaps?”

_ Nice move Yukhei! _

“Yukhei, I work at a coffee shop.”

At this moment he really want to dig a hole and stay inside it forever, he work at the very place where he buys his regular beverages everyday and he has the nerve to ask him for coffee? Stupid Yukhei!

“Oh..sorry then, oh my god so sorry to disturb you on your..work place, and-and your work hour too.”

“But, I’m quite fine with lunch if you asked me”

Yukhei’s eyes go wide, he stares at Taeil for a few seconds before finally regaining his senses.

“Huh?”

“The nearest Japanese place around has really good sushi.” Taeil said, still smiling.

“Want to invite me there?”

And this day is probably Yukhei’s best day ever.

Oh, and Yukhei actually managed to get his literature review done, go through the whole training camp, and attend the online meeting of the debate team, while also planning a ‘date’ next week with Taeil.

_ ‘It is a date?’ Asked Taeil when they were done with eating, ‘If it is, will it be the second or the first?’ _

_ ‘W-WHAT eugh, I...I haven’t thought of that…’ Yukhei said, face red from Taeil’s question. _

_ ‘Well you should.’ Taeil picked up his glass, drinking the lemon tea. ‘Since I don’t kiss until the third date’ _

_ And if Yukhei stayed awake until 3 a.m thinking about it, before finally texting Taeil ‘It will be our second date’ he will bring that secret to grave (or not, because he accidentally spilled that fact at Kun’s potluck, and the teasing continued for months). _

**Author's Note:**

> I enjoy making them both and this has been sitting for too long in my Docs, so enjoy! This is a very rare rare rare pair, but I do think they have a complementary vibe? and have the same warm and comforting aura.....
> 
> Kudos, and comment are very much appreciated!


End file.
